On Tomanova Street, the first group of family houses of the Association Neighbourhood was built in 1895 (Tomanova 11 and 13, although both were later replaced by new buildings) and 1898 (Tomanova 3, 5, 7, 9, of which only no. 5 has survived). The second group (building type XI, Tomanova 15, 17, 19, 21 – only no. 15 has survived) was built in 1901, and the third and youngest group (building type no. XII, Tomanova 23, 25, 27 – only the semi-detached house no. 25‒27 has survived) was added in 1904. The original owner of Tomanova 25 was the bank clerk Vinzenz Tengler, while the adjoining no. 27 was owned by Franz Wallaschek, who was a member of the association’s board of directors. The entire group of Tomanova 23‒27 is captured in their completed state in a period photograph from the early 20th century taken by the famous Brno photographer Rudolf Sandalo Sr. These standardized family houses were probably designed by the staff of Brno’s municipal building authority, but the authors’ specific names remain unknown.Each half of the semi-detached house is of a triple-bay design, with the lateral bays in dominant two-storey avant-corps. These are topped by distinctive trapezoidal gables with rich wooden framing and half-hipped roofs. The roofs are decorated with short pinnacles. The avant-corps’ visual dominance is further accentuated by the large ground-floor window with a slightly arched lintel. The main elevation is divided vertically by pilasters with stylized capitals and horizontally by broad stringcourses. Brick and plaster alternate on the facade in a balanced proportion and well-considered rhythm. Wooden elements on the avant-corps and on the building’s upper floors resemble half-timbered structures. The two halves are entered via arched recessed portals in the lateral extensions. Of all the standardized houses in the Association Neighbourhood, type XII used decorative wooden elements to the greatest extent. Along with the fair-faced brickwork and contrasting light plaster, these three elements created an iconic ‘three-part harmony of the picturesque’.
Upon completion, the houses on Tomanova Street formed an exceptionally valuable architectural and urban ensemble, of which, unfortunately, only a fragment remains today.
Pavla Cenková
